The Dragonflies of Bramshill Site of Special Scientific Interest Freshwater Habitats Trust Author Ken Crick Forward Bramshill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a Flagship Pond Site. Part of a network of the very best of Britain’s ponds; sites of exceptional importance for freshwater wildlife and some of our finest freshwater habitats. The Flagship sites can be a single special pond, or more commonly group of ponds, selected because they support rich, often irreplaceable, communities and species at risk of extinction. They represent some of the least impacted, most diverse pond habitats remaining in the country. Many of our nation’s most beautiful and biodiverse waterbodies have degraded irrevocably, and it’s critically important that the remaining sites are well protected and well managed. In 2015, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Freshwater Habitats Trust launched the Flagship Ponds project, Mats of Water Crowfoot flower on Bramshill working with land managers and community groups to ensure that the most Plantation’s Longwater. critical pond sites in Britain were protected for the long term. This book has been published with the aim of enabling people visiting this, Introduction immensely important Flagship Pond Site in Northern Hampshire, to identify the dragonflies and damselflies they encounter - by reference to a simple text This nationally important Site of managed by Forestry Commission and in places subsequent backfilling Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) England (FCE), please see the site with landfill, Bramshill SSSI has and photographs. It should also inform those visiting the site of the location is notified as such in part for its map on page 6 which depicts the through a combination of careful of the majority of freshwater habitats. shallow mildly acidic ponds and extent of Bramshill SSSI covered management and a little luck associated mires. This complex by this booklet. Ownership of developed into a rich tapestry of Please help to protect Bramshill SSSI for dragonflies and damselflies and of open water bodies, mires the Bramshill SSSI component of working forest, lowland heath, other wildlife by following these three simple rules: and interconnecting network of Bramshill Forest is split between scrub, bare earth and wetland ditches support a rich assemblage FCE, Aggregate Industries (part of habitats supporting a diverse range 1. Ensure your footwear is cleaned and disinfected before visiting this of dragonflies and damselflies Lafarge Holcim) and The Elvetham of plants and animals. protected area; (collectively referred to as Odonata). Bramshill SSSI has developed into a rich tapestry 2. Enjoy the network of ponds from a safe distance remaining on established The site was registered by the British Dragonfly Society (BDS) as a of working forest, lowland heath, scrub, bare tracks and paths and avoid entering the water; ‘priority site’ of national importance earth and wetland habitats supporting a diverse 3. Always keep your dog/s under control and out of the water (and on a lead for Odonata at the beginning of range of plants and animals. between March 1st and August 31st during the bird nesting season). 2009 and it forms a key part of the Thames Basin Heaths Biodiversity Estate. FCE seeks to balance It is not unusual in the summer Following these simple instructions will prevent disturbance to wildlife and Opportunity Area (BOA). In addition timber production, recreation and months to happen upon Odonata reduce the spread of invasive plants and wildlife diseases. Bramshill SSSI has been identified biodiversity conservation to the enthusiasts who have travelled as one of 70 nationally important benefit of society and works with a many miles to visit the site and that More information on the Flagship Pond project and data on the damselflies ‘Flagship Pond Sites’ by the wide range of partners to achieve they return each year only serves and dragonflies of Bramshill SSSI can be found here: Freshwater Habitats Trust (FHT). this goal. to confirm the sites importance Bramshill SSSI extends to some From its origins as a desolate as a haven for dragonflies and freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/projects/flagship 650 hectares (ha) and forms part moonscape during the early 1990s damselflies and the habitats upon of the wider Bramshill Forest in the wake of mineral extraction which they depend.” 2 3 A brief aquatic history of the site. One of 11 new pools at Warren Heath, Wellingtonia Valley. Warren Heath Reservoir 3 Reference to the first Ordnance Survey map of The 1934 map indicates the Elderly locals have commented on necessary to filter run off before partnership working; one key existence of three purpose built the existence of ponds at Bracknells it reached the River Blackwater, initiative being ‘The Thames Basin 1817 would suggest that there was no standing reservoirs on Warren Heath. The Bottom SU 7815 6006 and appear on the 1995 map mainly Heaths Forest Wetland Restoration water of any significant size anywhere on site. first and lowest has a beautifully Sphagnum Pool after 1945. along the northern boundary of Project’ comprising a collaboration The 1897 map clearly shows the ornamental executed brick dam, the second a The 1959 O.S. map indicates that Bramshill Plantation. The 1998 map between Forestry Commission lake at Bramshill Park and a pond near Eversley rough concrete dam and the third the site was still devoid of standing features 16 freshwater bodies on England (FCE), Pond Conservation has an earth dam with a concrete water. By the time the 1984 the plantation. (now Freshwater Habitats Trust Church. It is not until the map of 1920 that the spill way. A gravel based stream map was produced the Forestry Forestry Commission England (FHT)), Plantlife and The British first and largest reservoir on Warren Heath is links all three. Commission had again taken over has worked to restore, create and Dragonfly Society (BDS). This shown along with the still extant small pond at the The H L Edlin book “Forestry management of the site from maintain open habitats across project added a further 32 new & Woodland Life” 1947 features a the mineral extraction company, Bramshill Forest through a ponds to the SSSI during the winter head of the valley. Bramshill Plantation & Eversley photograph of a rackway through who as part of the wash plant, combination of ongoing internally of 2010/11. The total number of Upper Common (Heath Warren) remained devoid the pines of “Bramshill Forest” had created what is now South sourced conservation spend and freshwater bodies across all three of any significant freshwater bodies. showing a harvest of pit props. Pool. A number of ponds, deemed externally derived funding via sites now stands at 62. 4 5 Site map Dragonflies and Damselflies Bramshill SSS1 ownership split General Features The Elvetham Estate Forestry Commission England Dragonflies - Anisoptera Costa Aggregate Industries (Lafarge Holcim) Frons Node Head 1. Disused Pit SU 7584 6189 Pterostigma 2. Silent Pool SU 7567 6201 Thorax 3. Mid Pool SU 7545 6210 4. Longwater SU 7465 6276 1 5. Sphagnum Pool SU 7439 6290 2 6. Claw Lake SU 748 630 7. Deep Pit SU 7563 6215 3 Segments 1 to 10 1 to Segments Antehumeral stripe 8. Rudd Pool SU 7587 6254 4 Damselflies - Zygoptera 9. Sphagnum Complex SU 7448 6292 Abdomen 5 10. Plant Life Complex SU 7455 6289 6 Separated eyes Pterostigma 11. South Pool Complex SU 7534 6140 12. Warren Heath Reservoirs SU 778 587 7 Prothorax 13. Second Valley Pools SU 7793 5905 8 9 Antehumeral stripe 10 1 2 Anal Appendage 3 14. Hazlitt Pool SU 7827 5988 10 1 to Segments 15. Bracknells Bottom SU 781 598 4 16. Birch Bottom SU 7221 5912 17. Wellingtonia Valley SU 778 590 18. Heath Warren Flashes SU 770 600 5 19. Park Pale Pool SU 7614 6064 20. Pylon Pool SU 7672 6004 Glossary 6 21. South Pool Twins SU 7520 6152 Appendages Small coloured Anal appendages: Pterostigma: 7 22. Anvil Pool SU 7651 6270 at the end of the abdomen, males use cell on the leading edge, towards 23. Twin Pools SU 752 625 these for clasping the female during the tip of each wing. Used in the 8 9 24. Three Island Lake SU 750 630 mating. identification of some species. 25. Reed Bed SU 7472 6240 Coloured Instar: Moulting of the larval 26. South Pool SU 752 614 Antehumeral stripes: stripes on the top of the thorax skin to allow for growth. often used to identify to species level Exuvia: The shed larval skin. similarly coloured specimens. Teneral: Newly emerged Thorax: The three segments dragonfly lacking the full colours behind the head that bear the legs of the mature adult. and wings. 6 7 Life cycle Calopteryx virgo Beautiful Demoiselle Mating Beautiful Demoiselle Size Length = 45mm. Wing span = 58mm. Male Wing pigmentation covers almost the complete wing. Wing colour varies with the amount Adults - just emerged Female - laying eggs of sunlight available, iridescent blue to brown/black. Abdomen and thorax metallic blue-green. Female Female Wings golden brown with a Length = 45mm. Minature larvae clearly defined white false crawls up a pterostigma. Metallic green plant stem Wing span = 58mm. head and first stage of the Type thorax, becoming bronze Type laid scattered Male in stems freely towards the tip. Eggs Larva Habitat Normally found in fast flowing streams with a clean gravel or sandy bottom. The aquatic larval stage lasts from a few months Shortly after mating, females to up to five years, depending on species and lay their eggs using a variety of Distribution Lives out a full life cycle on the methods depending on species; stream feeding the reservoirs at environmental conditions. Growth during this period some are freely scattered over requires a number of moults (instars) but the final Warren Heath.